Madonna was living in "material world", and now we are a living in a "virtual world".  Face to face meetings have been replaced with Teams meetings, Zooms and webinars.  We have all adjusted to this new normal (for the most part), but it is still incredibly frustrating when you try to speak only to discover that your mic isn't working or thinking your camera is off when it actually isn't.  Here are some tips to help you not only survive, but thrive in this new "virtual world":

• Ensure the slider is not closed on your laptop (if applicable)
• If using an external webcam, verify it’s fully plugged in. If you are having issues with the webcam reboot or unplug and plug it back in
• Ensure any tape or sticky notes have been taken off the camera lens
• If there is an echo on a call, try muting yourself to see if the issue subsides. An echo is frequently caused by not using headphones, which leads to the microphone picking up the sound from the speakers and consequently creating a sound loop 
• Double check to make sure there’s not an “X” through your sound icon in the bottom right taskbar which would indicate you are muted.  

Zoom Specific Tips:  

• Link to test audio/video settings: https://zoom.us/test (link should walk the user through testing microphone & webcam)
• To check audio settings manually while on a call – hover over the Zoom Meeting window > Bottom left > Click the “Up” arrow over Audio or Video to access the settings
• Under Video, ensure the correct webcam has been chosen from the dropdown list
• Check the preview to ensure the video looks good (Don’t forget to check your background surroundings)
• Under Audio, ensure the correct microphone is selected for both speaker and microphone. You can select an option to test the Speaker and Microphone, if needed